Sweet Chilli Chicken (But Without the Sugar, Gluten, or Regret)

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There comes a point in every week when you stand in the kitchen, stare into the fridge, and think:

“I want something tasty… but I also don’t want to feel like absolute rubbish afterwards.”

This is usually followed by you reaching for a takeaway menu, before remembering you’ve got a family, a conscience, and a vague desire to fit into your jeans.

Enter: Sweet Chilli Chicken, Big H style.

This version is gluten-free, sugar-free, and soy-free, but crucially still tastes like food, not punishment! It also comes with a cheat mode, because sometimes life is too short to shred chicken breast by hand like a Victorian orphan.

The Chicken Situation

You’ve got two options here:

  • The virtuous option: fresh chicken breast, sliced thin, battered, fried.
  • The realistic option – Rosie & Jim’s Crispy Shredded Chicken, straight from the freezer, minimal shame, maximum convenience.

I use both, depending on my mood, the time available, and how much chopping I'm willing to do without sighing too loudly.

Ingredients

The Main Event

500g chicken breast, cut into thin strips (or a whole bag of Rosie & Jim’s Crispy Shredded Chicken if you’re cheating, no judgement from me...)

  • 1 large white or brown onion
  • 1 large pepper
  • 1–2 large carrots

The Sauce (Trust the Process)

  • 4 tbsp ketchup (Heinz Zero Sugar is excellent and doesn’t taste like sadness)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 tbsp water
  • 1 tsp stevia
  • 1 tbsp white vinegar
  • 1 tsp garlic granules
  • 1 tbsp coconut aminos (or soy sauce if soy isn’t your enemy)
  • ½ tsp chilli flakes (I use 1–2 tsp, but my family are weak...)
  • 1 tsp cornflour

Prep (Put the Music On)

Finely slice the onion and pepper, then peel the carrots and cut them into thin batons.

If using fresh chicken, shred it using scissors or a sharp knife. To batter the chicken: egg dip → cornflour → mild feeling of competence.

Make the sauce by chucking everything into a jug or bowl and mixing well. At this stage, the sauce will look wrong. Ignore that. It sorts itself out later.

Cooking (This Is Where It Comes Together)

Chicken first - Fry the battered chicken in hot oil until golden and crispy, then remove and set aside. (Or put your frozen shredded chicken in the oven for  about 20 minutes and feel smug about it.)

Veg time - Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan. Add the onions, peppers, and carrots. Stir, agitate, poke, and generally harass them around the pan until softened and the onions start to go translucent.

Sauce magic - Pour the sauce over the veg. Stir constantly while it thickens and turns into something that actually resembles sweet chilli sauce.

Bring it home - Add the chicken back into the pan. Toss everything together until coated, glossy, and frankly quite impressive.

Serve

Serve with white rice, either basmati or long grain. Yes, I said white rice, we’re being sensible, not miserable.

Final Thoughts

This is one of those meals that:

  • Feels indulgent
  • Doesn’t spike your blood sugar
  • Doesn’t require obscure ingredients
  • And doesn’t make you question your life choices afterwards

Which, frankly, is all I’m asking of dinner these days.

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